Once again Dan Boeckner takes a break from Wolf Parade to grab his wife, Alexei Perry, for a stroll down side-project lane with the Handsome Furs. In 2007’s “Plague Park,” this husband-wife duo cashed in on Perry’s prodigious talents as a short story writer to craft songs of lyrical genius while still retaining the virility of Boeckner’s guitar. Unfortunately, where “Plague Park” pulsed with a steady, human heartbeat, the cold, metallic sounds of their sophomore effort, “Face Control” feel more like a pacemaker.

Compared to the frantic beats of Wolf Parade’s albums, listening to “Face Control” borders on monotonous. Swapping traditional instruments for synthesizers, the album noticeably lacks the intriguing improvisation of both Wolf Parade and previous Handsome Furs releases. Rather than raising the bar, with “Face Control” The Handsome Furs seem content to simply maintain the status quo. When compared to “Plague Park,” the unintentional tedium of this latest release is all the more grating.

Lyrically, “Face Control” is decent. Of course, there’s nothing really new. The Handsome Furs return to the same ocean and urban images to the point where they feel more mandatory than metaphorical. Boeckner takes redundancy to new heights with “I’m Confused” in which more than a third of the song consists of only those two words — a case of lyrical laziness which frankly offends my English major sensibilities.

With “Face Control” the Handsome Furs deliver a veritable showcase of unrealized possibilities. Overbearing guitar and jangling electronics make most tracks either overly portentous or over-produced. The traces of brilliance still remain buried underneath the haze of unnecessary bells and whistles, but the needless additions make “Face Control” only a good version of a potentially great album. In the end, The Handsome Furs’ latest release is something of a mixed blessing. It has moments of intrigue, but only the most ardent fans can justify the purchase. By the time the final track plays, you’re left wishing you’d just listened to Wolf Parade in the first place.

It is often said that college is a time for experimenting. Certainly entrepreneurs like Joe Francis, of “Girls Gone Wild” fame, feed off of this mentality. Sexual experimentation and college go hand-in-hand in many people’s minds.

But what is experimenting? The term is very broad and is often accompanied by negative connotations of sexual perversion. The most basic definition of experimentation is expanding your sexual boundaries and trying something new.

Experimentation is relative to your sexual experience. The first time you kiss someone, you’re experimenting. In college, the idea of sexual experimentation often suggests engaging in sex acts with someone of the same sex — at least in theory.

College is not the only time we experiment. From the time we recognize our own sexuality, we yearn to discover it. If you’re lucky, you have the balls to fiddle with yourself until something clicks. Most people, though, are prodded on by friends. As a rule, people in groups tend to be more daring than individuals.
During middle school, your peer group tends to consist of people of the same sex. You’re maybe not so comfortable yet with the other gender. But that doesn’t stop you from being curious. The simple solution is to try out new things on your friends.

I remember comparing breast size to my classmates in sixth grade. (If you’re wondering, I lost, miserably.) We touched each other’s growing breasts and giggled. We discussed our newly sprouted hairs on various parts of our bodies. And we kissed each other on the mouth.

It’s a little embarrassing to talk about same-sex experiences. We might brush them off as silly childhood errors, but they are neither errors nor are they silly. They are valuable parts of our growth as sexual beings.
As we grow, we continue to have these experiences. But in college, they tend to be taken more seriously. Now we are fully grown sex machines, with perhaps a fair amount of sexual experience under our belts. Our same-sex encounters will probably include more than just admiring each other’s pubes.

Again, it is often a question of comfort. Maybe you’re embarrassed to be intimate with someone you don’t really know, so you turn to your same-sex friends. After all, what are friends for?

Don’t be embarrassed watching porn and fooling around a little with your roommate. More people do it than you think — just no one talks about it. If you’re a dude and you’ve licked another dude’s maypole, it’s okay. Don’t panic.

Engaging in homosexual acts does not make you gay. Even enjoying them does not make you gay. Sexuality cannot be defined in black and white terms. Just because you did something once – or a handful of times – does not mean you have to do it for the rest of your life, unless, of course, you want to.

And there’s nothing wrong with exploring your sexuality, as long as you’re being safe. Maybe, as a girl, you have to kiss another girl just to be sure it’s not something you’re into. Maybe you play with someone else’s vagina so that you can understand more about your own. A valuable experience is just that, no matter what form it takes.

And now for the mandatory sexually transmitted infection warning: Just because it’s experimentation does not mean it can’t have consequences. Stay safe – use condoms, dental dams and caution. It’s a scary world out there, regardless of which kind of genitalia you find yourself fondling.

In the end, experimentation is important but very personal. You don’t have to share your encounters with anyone if you don’t want to. But don’t let shame lead you to bottle them up inside. Sexual repression can drive you crazy if you let it. And there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Now, whether you want to be so open as to let Joe Francis document your sexual journey is another story.

__Maya Horowitz is the Flat Hat sex columnist. She is a girl gone wild… at least for Williamsburg’s standards.__

The Decemberists updated their unique style with an infusion of rock influence in “The Hazards of Love.” Since 2000, the Decemberists have filled a very specific niche in the indie-pop genre by cranking out album after album of their own distinct blend of traditional folk music with modern edge.

Their penchant for melodrama is fully realized in this folk-rock opera. Trading in the synthesizer solos of 2006’s “The Crane Wife” in favor of a more cohesive sound, the Decemberists have crafted a record of panoramic elegance. The flawless transitions between songs coupled with the instrumental interludes add to this sense of the operatic. This is not an album to listen to on shuffle — to do so would cheapen the sweeping extravagance. While “The Crane Wife” represented the conception of the Decemberists’ theatricality, “The Hazards of Love” stands as a proud maturation of the concept.

With this latest release, it feels like the Decemberists have at last learned to chart their own offbeat course through the murky waters of major labels. Where “The Crane Wife,” which was the band’s first record with Capital Records after leaving indie label Kill Rock Stars, felt jumbled and mismatched, ‘Hazards’ shimmers in its artful simplicity. Though they consciously sacrifice their signature grand vocabulary in favor of a stronger sound, this decision strengthens the album as a whole. While lyrics like “the prettiest whistles won’t wrestle the thistles undone” are still a credit to frontman Colin Meloy’s skill as a wordsmith, these moments are fewer and farther between than what was showcased on albums like “Picaresque” or even “Castaways and Cutouts.”

Though meant to be experienced in its entirety, the album still boasts some stunning stand-alone tracks. The Decemberists take a chance with some of the songs by introducing new guest female vocalists. Shara Worden (“My Brightest Diamond”) lends her robust vocals to “The Wanting Comes in Waves,” an epic six and a half minutes of desire and heartache. While past back-up vocalist Jenny Conlee was marked by her fragile timidity, Worden’s pugnacity earns her a song of her own, “The Queen’s Rebuke” — an honor never bestowed upon Conlee. Rebecca Gates from The Spinanes also makes an appearance in “Isn’t it a Lovely Night.” Her quaking sincerity makes this track one to remember. Nevertheless, when it comes to “The Hazards of Love,” the whole is undoubtedly greater than the sum of its parts.

Students at the College of William and Mary arrive right out of high school and have the comfort of knowing that their fellow classmates are equally clueless.

Transfer students, however, have no such assurances.

“Coming from community colleges, we have kind of a Napoleonic complex where we have to prove ourselves,” Irene Foley ’10 said.

Foley is a New Jersey native, and after spending one year at Boston University, she took classes at Northern Virginia Community College before coming to the College.

Next to Foley on the Sadler Center terrace sat Kelly Tsiptsis ’10, her hallmate, fellow transfer student and friend since orientation. Tsiptsis, who earned four semesters’ worth of credits in one year at Richard Bland Community College and John Tyler Community College, agreed with Foley’s analysis.

“Especially to the people at home who saw me as the girl out of high school who went to community college. Now I’m actually taking a real step [forward].”

Whether coming from a different four-year institution or a community college, transfer students resolve the question of where to relocate in unexpected ways. Foley found her answer reflected in the College’s swimming pool.

“Legitimately, every single school that we visited, we went and saw the swimming pool,” Foley said. “I don’t know why, it’s weird. I walked in, and the [College] lifeguard was so friendly.”

That chlorine-scented conversation sold her on the College, though before she visited she was leaning toward the University of Virginia, Tsiptis was also convinced to transfer after visiting campus. Though she was leaning towards University of Mary Washington, “within the first two minutes [at the college], I changed my mind completely,” she said. “Also, there is a Greek system, which I’m very involved in, and that was something I knew I wanted to do.”

The Greek system at the College also appealed to Sarah Ridgway ’10, a transfer student from U.Va.. Ridgway had a difficult time deciding between U.Va. and the College during her senior year in high school, she waited until the deposit deadline day to decide on U.Va.. After her decision she realized that she was not satisfied after her first semester.

“When I heard about my friends going out and meeting new people, I thought, ‘I don’t really think I’m having the same experience as these people,’” she said. “I was hanging out with all the same people I had before [college].”

She ultimately chose the College over their alma mater, James Madison University, because she wanted to maintain the same level of academic rigor and branch out from her family’s experiences. When she arrived in Williamsburg during the fall semester of her sophomore year, she participated in sorority rush week and ended up pledging.

“I didn’t rush [at U.Va.]; it was too intense,” Ridgway said. In contrast, she said the College offered a greater sense of Greek community.

Because they are eager to meet other students, most transfers get involved right away with several extracurricular activities on campus. Tsiptsis raved about the College Republicans and the Outdoors Club, while it took some prompting Foley described her participation in the Swing Dance Club and the Massage Club.

“With everything I do, everyone is so accepting. They need more people, and they want you to come. I feel like I’ve gotten a little more socially attuned.”

Arriving on campus as a transfer student is often the culmination of years of frustration and hard work, and many transfers seemed hesitant to voice their disappointments. With a little prodding, however, their gleaming Tribe Pride wore away to reveal more honest opinions. Tsiptsis broached the subject first.

“Tell the truth,” she said to Tsiptsis. “You get bored here.”

“I’m not really always comparing everything to BU,” Foley said, “but now that we’re talking about it … I do miss being able to go to the science or art museum or walk on the Charles [River], but unless someone’s visiting me and I want to show them around, I don’t really notice.”

The evening social scene at the College also received mediocre reviews. There are enough parties to fill their weekends, Tsiptsis and Foley agreed, but they decided that they are nothing to brag about. Tsiptsis attributed the casual social atmosphere to the fact that fewer people drink at the College than she expected.

The conversation then turned to the subject of campus food. Foley reminisced about the broad array of off-campus dining options in Boston, and lamented that she hasn’t found the same range of choices in Williamsburg.

“Where do we eat?” she said. “Unless I want to go to someplace where they dress up in caps and gowns, where do I go?”

Tsiptsis agreed.

“The food the first month was fine, and it’s slowly losing its appeal,” he said. “My biggest deal is that I can’t get a hot meal. Everything I eat is cold, because you have to stand in line, which is annoying to me.”

A common theme among transfer students is dissatisfaction with the school spirit of the College’s student body with respect to athletics. Ridgway said that she misses the fervor that sporting events created at U.Va.

“It’s very exciting there,” she said. “They stay the entire game whether they’re winning or losing; it’s on a bigger scale. I think school spirit could be improved here.”

Tsiptsis had a similar outlook.

“I have an ungodly amount of school spirit,” she said. “And I was really upset that not a lot of people take the football games seriously.”

For these transfers, the religious and cultural diversity of the College’s student population was also the subject to debate. To Foley, the students here were more homogeneous than she expected.

“It was kind of a shock to me coming from Boston University,” she said, “where they draw a huge, huge population of different people. I love the people here, but they’re definitely not as diverse as what I found in the city.”

She was also surprised by what she saw as a high level of religious practice at the College.

“I’ve always lived in a non-religious community and so many of my friends come from that kind of background,” she said. “I wouldn’t change it, but I would add more religions besides Christianity; I would love to see Buddhism, and I’ve [only] met one Jewish person here. I do like that people have faith. It’s interesting. It adds more variety.”

Tsiptsis was more content with the makeup of the student body, and has found that she shares many qualities with people she has met at the College.

“I feel very comfortable,” she said. “I love being around people like me.”

In Ridgway’s experience, U.Va. and the College are equally diverse. She weighed in on the ever-popular discussion of what it means to be a so-called typical William and Mary person and concluded that no set of defining characteristics exists.

“I know a wide range of people who are very different, and I would say they’re all typical William and Mary students,” she said. “Based on my experiences, there could be a typical William and Mary student walking around at U.Va., and there could be a typical U.Va. student walking around at William and Mary.”

Though they didn’t agree on the specifics, all three transfer students agreed that they enjoy being part of the College, especially since it is relatively small compared to other universities.

“Everyone here just seems so much friendlier,” Ridgway said. “People aren’t so quick to judge you here. At U.Va., you could walk around all day and never see a single person that you knew, which is kind of depressing. I feel like I know lots of people here.” All three students praised the classroom intimacy created by small class sizes and the opportunity to build relationships with their professors.

Despite their differences in opinion and background, these transfer students that they were proud to be at the College and grateful for the opportunities they found here. Having been less than satisfied by their first college experiences, their appreciation of the College seemed to be magnified beyond what most non-transfer students express.

“I never thought I was good enough to get into William and Mary; when I was accepted, I was blown away, shocked and honored,” Tsiptsis said.

Transfer students didn’t take the most direct route to Williamsburg, but many are thankful for their circuitous course just the same. They said leaving their initial colleges was risky, but they’ve found the experience rewarding beyond what they had predicted.

“I’m really happy with the weird path that I’ve taken;” Foley said, “[from] Boston University, [to] community college, [to] here. I feel like I’m so much happier here than I was at BU.

Ridgway agreed. “I would say it’s a change that I needed, and a great one.”

Two weeks ago, Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” hit theaters with a classic comic-book bang. The story, extraordinarily faithful to the original graphic novel, centers around a group of deeply-flawed former superheroes. Their lives collide once more after the murder of one of their own. This all is set in a twisted version of 1985 in which history has been influenced by the superheroes and President Richard Nixon has been re-elected for a third time after winning the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, the Cold War rages on and the United States is creeping ever-closer to war with the Soviet Union. As the clock ticks closer to doomsday, the protagonists are thrust back into their roles as superheroes.

If I can say one thing for “Watchmen,” it’s not conventional. No matter what your exposure is to superhero films —¬ or even movies in general — you’re not going to predict “watchmen’s” twists. In fact, the narrative is incredibly complex. The story shifts perspectives and focuses, going from the present to flashbacks over 30 years in the past. One character’s flashback shows his entire life as happening at the same time. Several of the main scenes of the movie aren’t explained until the very end of the film. It isn’t cluttered like “Matrix Reloaded’s” ending, but it’s a far cry from the “Fantastic Four.” If you’re going for a pure popcorn flick, you’ll want to pass on this one. I’m a huge lover of the comic, so I went into the theater with certain expectations in mind. I wasn’t disappointed, either. While “Watchmen” isn’t going to win any Oscars, it’s definitely one of the better comic-book films. Like most adaptations, “Watchmen” tries to convey a lengthy story, but it does so better than most. Its source material weighs in at a dense 340 pages, a problem in the world of movies where a feature rarely goes beyond the two-hour mark. “Watchmen’s” answer to this problem is to cut a big chunk of the book’s plot while retaining the core. But even after the gratuitous exorcism, it still hovers dangerously close to the dreaded three hour mark.
They really could have cut some things out of the movie and streamlined it, or even, shocking as this is, added more explanation to the central plot. If you’ve read the comic, nothing’s going to confuse you, but most people going to see the film are experiencing the story for the first time and are likely to be a little perplexed by the film’s closing. There are a few pointless action scenes, a few very lengthy sex scenes that are in poor taste to say the least and some overly long scenes that are stretched out for artistic effect.

The movie’s soundtrack is interesting. For the most part it’s a wonderful dash of ’80’s loving, but some of the songs just don’t blend well. Simon and Garfunkel stick out uncomfortably during an early montage. Later on, in what could have been a powerful emotional moment, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” turns the scene into something from the crudest of comedies. The film’s score is entirely eclipsed by this who’s who of the ’80’s music scene.

Though more than a little scatterbrained, the movie does step over the line from movie to film. Symbolism is abundant, from the first shot to the last. Despite the fantasy-element of the superhero film, it remains very grounded with both subtle and overt political overtones.

From a character development standpoint, “Watchmen” is a gold mine. The main characters range from far-left pacifist and vegetarians to borderline fascist neo-cons. What is truly intriguing about this is that the film passes judgment on none of these characters and does something that most stories don’t dare to accomplish: It sympathizes with both sides, showing how everyone developed their individual personas.
If this at all sounds interesting to you, then you should check it out. If you prefer your superhero stories to leave the realm of moral relativism untouched, then you might want to sit this one out. “Watchmen” definitely isn’t for everyone, with its vicious gore, ubiquitous profanity and batch of heroes that you’ll find uncomfortably un-heroic. But those who see it will certainly get their money’s worth in this lengthy epic that is a far cry from the Sunday funnies.